


The most beautiful man i've ever seen

by mermaiddragon



Category: Black Sails
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:14:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23901409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mermaiddragon/pseuds/mermaiddragon
Summary: John Silver spots a man in a bar and immediately falls for him. Lucky for him, his friend Jack knows the man and, with the help of Chalres, is already scheming for them to get together...
Relationships: Anne Bonny/"Calico" Jack Rackham, Anne Bonny/Max, Captain Flint | James McGraw/John Silver, Captain Flint | James McGraw/Thomas Hamilton, Miranda Barlow/Captain Flint | James McGraw/Thomas Hamilton
Comments: 5
Kudos: 22





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is supposed to be a bit silly, very fun and somewhat short... We'll see !

The bar was crowded so it took some time for Jack to go from his private table to the bar, where Charles and John were waiting for him. He had been talking with a friend of his while the two other men were dancing. They had stopped a while ago and were probably waiting for him to go home. John was laying his head on the bar, eyes almost closed and Charles was toying with an empty beer bottle. Finally, he put a hand on Charles' shoulder. 

-Hey, sorry i kept you waiting, we were pretty caught up in our conversation and -  
-Jack ! 

John was, actually, not sleeping. He had just grabbed the lapel of Jack's jacket and was seriously swaying. He looked both very intense and completely out of it, like he was mesmerized by a movie only him could see. 

-Jack, his name i must know....  
-Whose...?  
-That man ! The most beautiful man i've ever seen ! 

Jack, his jacket still in the hands of John, turned his head towards Charles. 

-How much did he drink ?  
-Too much, estimated Charles. And he's high as fuck.  
-Ooookay, time to go home, mister Silver.  
-But... his name... that man, you were talking with him.... his name ?  
-Ok, i'll make you a deal : you let go of my expensive vest, we go to the car and i'll tell you my friend's name there, all right ? 

John finally let go and nodded. He tried getting down from his barstool and instead fell in Jack's arms.

-Charles, can you ... ? 

Jack made a vague gesture that was easy to interpret in context. Or maybe Charles was just used to it. He grabbed John and carried him like a sack of potato across his shoulder. By the time they reached the car, John had somehow fallen asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

When he awoke, on saturday morning, or actually midday, like his phone informed him, John was certain of two things. First, he was very hungover. Two, he was in The Rangers' guest room, where he had been staying for a week. His memories of the past evening were fuzzy but if he was in his room then that meant he had done nothing too terrible. 

He managed to get up, put back his prosthetic – he did not remember taking it off but neither did he remember going to bed – and walked to the kitchen. He hoped that the smell of coffee wasnt just giving him a false hope. He wasn't sure he could bear making coffee before having had coffee. 

In the kitchen, Jack, Charles and Max were peeling and cutting an enormous amount of vegetables. Right, he remembered, his friends were hosting a dinner party that night and he would have to at least look alive. Anne handed him a giant mug of hot coffee without a word which he drank gratefully. After a while, he finally asked :   
-Okay, so i don't know if i remember things or if i dreamt about the bar but could you walk me through yesterday night's events ? 

Charles and Jake exchanged a smirk. That was not a good sign. Maybe it was even worse than what he thought. Max got up and started to throw some of the vegetables and several kind of spices into a big pot. 

-It was a pretty uneventful evening, started Jack, we went to the Walrus, drank, smoke.   
-Some more than others, pointed out Charles.   
-You went to dance and Charles followed you because he has no heart so he just abandoned me.   
-John was high and you told me to look after him. And I was dancing too.   
-You were vaguely swaying on the dancing floor. So anyway, after you traitors left me all alone, I spotted a friend of mine in a corner of the bar so I went to talk to him at his table.   
-And at some point you tripped over your feet, John, so we went back to the bar to sit down for a while.  
-So you see, nothing out of the ordinary, commented Jack.  
-Except, started Charles, you asked me where Jack was, I showed you and then you spent i don't know how much time staring at his friend and practically drooling.

Jack giggled and John hid his face in his hands. 

-And then, added Jack, pointing his potato peeler toward John, I came back, and you practically ripped my jacket.  
-Your jacket is fine, muttered Charles.  
-And asked me the name of the "most beautiful man you've ever seen". 

John groaned. So that hadn't been a dream. Maybe he should refrain from drinking and smoking from now on. That only ever brought him ridicule.

-Lucky for you, added Charles, he was long gone so he did not heard that and i talked Jack into not mentioning it to him.   
-How did you manage that ? asked John in a small voice.   
-We now have a complicated matchmaking plot scheme because the friend is coming to the party tonight.  
-Speaking of the party, intervened Anne.

John jumped a little, he had completely forgotten she was standing behind him. 

-If you boys are finished gossiping, I have several pies to prepare and I don't want any of you to be in there. 

The three men were unceremoniously shooed out of the kitchen. For some reason, Anne treated pies like they contained state secrets. She never announced what was in the pie, enjoying the apprenhension and surprise on the face of her victimes. John started to head towards his bedroom, like he was drone programmed only for sleeping. That would be a bad drone, he thought. 

-Wait, hang on, you said something about a scheme ?   
-I'm going to be transparent with you, announced Jack. The first step is you getting a nap. That okay ?

John shot a look to Charles but he was standing cross-armed, a hint of a smile somewhere in the corner of his mouth. Even when he was sober, it asked all his wits and cunning to get Jack or Charles to talk about their plans. But right now he didn't even have one braincell functioning. His brain was like a broken computer whose sole error message was "NAP". So he nodded and went to bed, as instructed. Charles and Jack watched him leave and waited until he was out of earshot. 

-Are you sure he won't check your social medias to find the guy ? whispered Charles. 

Jack produced John's phone, as if he had been keeping it in his sleeve all along. 

-He's too tired to turn on the computer and he left this on the kitchen table. We're safe. Until tonight.


	3. Chapter 3

Naps were a very good invention, thought John. And so were showers. And warm water. By the time he got out of the bathroom, it was already night outside. He could hear the music and the chatter from the guests, smell the aroma of food, see the fairy lights through the window. He gave one last look to his outfit : finely-stripped pants, embroidered black shirt and blue jacket. He looked very good, he thought, like a respectable man with a good fashion sense. His friends wouldn't be ashamed of their squatter. Not that they ever said something like that, but he was always worried that he didn't belong. John finished combing and tying his hair into a small ponytail, letting the rest of his hair loose under it, and walked outside.

The garden was already packed with people, the Rangers clearly had too many friends. Jack was carefully tuning his guitar, getting ready to give his guests a cover of some profound and poetic song. When he'd have drinken enough, he would surely turn to covers of Britney and Elton John. Anne was by the buffet, sipping her drink, slipping looks from under her hat to anyone who would approach her pies. Not in a threatening way, or at least it wasn't the intention, but it still was disconcerting. As much as John was hoping she had baked her famous mango-rice-chicken pie he wasn't ready for such a nerve-wracking experience. Eating Anne's food was marvellous but doing it while she observed you from afar to notice your every reaction was quite stressful.

So he moved further into the garden, leaving the buffet and deck-turned-stage to his right, going in the direction of the garden gate. Here, he was sure to find Max, welcoming guests with a smile and introducing people to each other. She was chatting with a tall blonde man whom she introduced as Billy Bones. He gave John one look and decided to go wander and mingle further into the party, thanking Max for her conversation. He seemed very stern and not much fun, thought John.

He got to enjoy a few minutes of conversation with Max before the next guest arrived. She was a beautiful woman with a kind face and she had brought biscuits infused with lavander water she made from the flowers of her own garden. Max, ever the perfect hostess, gave to Silver the basket Miranda Hamilton had brought and instructed him to take it to the kitchen, where Charles would take care of it. As he left, the words “your husband and his boyfriend arrived earlier” picked his ear. But it would have been rude to turn back and incorporate himself back in the conversation asking “ma'am ? Are you per chance, involved in some sort of _queer_ situation ?” Rude, and probably very awkward.

In the kitchen, the table was still covered in food, like it had been in the morning, but instead of heaps of raw vegetables it was now a mish-mash of desserts. Cakes, brownies, biscuits, cookies, fruits... No one had dared bringing pies to Anne's house. She had cooked during the afternoon and now the kitchen was Charles' territory. Which meant he was grilling meat and vegetables and piling it in huge plates. John wondered if all the desserts would reek of cooking oil after sitting here too long.

He was trying to come up with a way to protect them from the consequences of Charles' actions when he noticed that there was a man, leaning against the counter, quietly drinking from a bottle of beer. For a second, Silver worried he had interrupted a moment, drinking in companionable silence was a thing people did with Charles, when he liked them enough, and it was as bad as interrupting a conversation.

Once again, John lost his train of thoughts. The man had moved his face in the light – why was it so dark in there ? Didn't Charles need light to cook ? - and there he was. A handsome redhead with freckles all over his face, a neat-beard, longish hair tied back, an earring his his right ear, wearing all black... Yes, that was him. The most beautiful man John Silver had ever seen. As soon as he remembered those words, he felt himself turning crimson. This was going to be an interesting night.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "I'm going to write the end of this fic today", i thought this morning, "there should be only one chapter left !"  
> Well i was wrong but... maybe not so much ? Anyway, have Flint and Silver chatting while handling cakes

Eventually, the two men noticed John standing there. Charles gave a look to the basket Silver had just put on the table and asked :   
-Hey, would you mind taking all this stuff to the living room ? I'm going to need the table. 

John mumbled “sure” and picked back up the basket. This was poor planning, he thought, why hadn't they started piling the things in the living room in the first place, if Charles was going to need the kitchen table ? But then again, he wasn't the best of them at planning...

-Flint, can you give him a hand ? Everyone brought lots of stuff. 

The handsome man agreed and picked a tin of cookies and a lemon cake on a glass plate. Silver crossed the door to show him the way, maintaining his composure the best he could.   
The living room was dark too and he had to lit the antique-looking chandelier with his elbow upon entering the room. He felt the man behind him stop short, a few inches before collision. He had fast reflexes and John almost lamented it. 

-So, asked Silver once he had gotten the basket on the table for the second time this evening, you're called Flint ?   
-No, it's a nickname. The name is James McGraw.

James handed him his hand to shake so Silver introduced himself too, adding a polite, firm “nice to meet you”. It was really, really, really nice to meet him but he was trying to look cool and collected. 

-Are those biscuits from Miranda ? I smell lavender, noted Flint  
-Yes, Miranda Barlow, she just got there. You know her ?  
-Hm. So, how long have you been friends with Charles ? Started James as he began to make his way back to the kitchen to collect the rest of the sweets.  
-Actually I met Max first and then she introduced me to her girlfriend and to her girlfriend's boyfriend and their... Charles. That was a few years ago.

John shot a quick look at James, wondering if he had any qualms about anything he had just said. But the man seemed to be good friends with both Charles and Jack, so, surely, he was familiar with their home situations ? 

-And yet I had never met you before, remarked Flint as he picked a heavy chocolate cake. How come ?  
-I just moved here, actually, I wasn't in town before. They're letting me stay here, until I can find my footing.  
-They're good friends, this bunch.  
-Yes. How do you know Jack ?  
-He helps us find artists for our summer festival, at the commune. He's been doing it for a few years now.  
-Commune ?   
-Yeah, did he not tell you about it ? We have a plot of land, some fields, a few buildings... We're self-governed.  
-Oh, the anarchist group ?  
-Yeah.

To be honest, the Rangers had mostly referred to the group as “the bunch of hippies up the moutain” but Silver had gathered enough to understand they were anarchists living their utopia. The two men kept on talking as they moved the desserts from room to room. They barely paid any attention to Jack shooing them out of the kitchen as he handed them the last trays of sweets. Once they were done, since they couldn't go back to the kitchen turned battleground, they ended up sitting on the old plush couch by the fireplace. John tucked his legs under him and Flint – “everyone calls me that, you might as well” – sat with his legs crossed, one ankle resting on his knee, looking very comfortable and flexible. Somehow the conversation had moved from the history of the anarchist settlement to politics and then poetry. Not only was this man beautiful and commited to a political cause, he was also very cultivated and well-read.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy the sheer ridiculousness of this much fluff as much as I did writing it !  
> And yes that's the final chapter, i'm just going to add an epilogue

-There you are ! I was starting to wonder if you had left to pillage the wine cellar.  
-I don't think there's a wine cellar here, love. And I'm not one to pillage, of all things.

The blonde man who had just entered the room was wearing a loose white shirt tucked into tight black pants. His shirt was very open, only two or three buttons actually fastened. John wondered if maybe this type of shirt and pants combination was mandatory in their commune. The two men were dressed the same, as if it was their uniform. Except Flint's shirt was black and with some more buttons fastened, so it wasn't exactly identical, maybe more like a dresscode rather than –

-...John, he's a friend of our hosts. New in town.

Silver smiled politely and shook the hand the other man was offering him. He had missed the beginning of Flint's sentence but context allowed him to understand they were making introductions.

-John, this is Thomas Hamilton, my partner.  
-In crime, completed the blonde man  
-Thomas, how much have you drunk ?  
-I don't know, I was left unattended. You were off having your silent meditation with Charles and Miranda found an opera fan to talk with. I had no choice, James.

John watched them bicker for a while, yearning to be loved the way they evidently loved each other. It made him happy, seeing the two men being affectionate and tender through their mutual teasing. James still had one arm outstretched on the back of the couch. With his other hand, he was loosely holding Thomas' fingers. The other man was rubbing his thumb over his and in his other hand he precariously held an half-empty champagne flute. It always made John's heart sing in a special way, gay couples being happy together. But it also made him yearn for a love like this. And in this special instance, it was from Flint that he wanted to receive this attention, he wanted Flint to look at him with the open face, the same tender eyes, the same soft corner-smile. As if he had read his thoughts, the redhead turned to him :

  
-Would you mind showing me where the drinks are ? I won't dare going into the kitchen just yet but I think Thomas here needs a glass of water, could you show me where to find it ?  
-You're a glass of water, mumbled Thomas. A tall one. Glass of water.  
-Why don't you sit here, love, and I'll be back in a minute, hm ?  
-I could go fetch it, offered John.  
-Showing me will suffice, Thomas won't crumble if he has to sit in the quiet for a little while.

James forced his lover to drop on the couch, gave him a kiss on the forehead, listened to what Thomas whispered into his ear and followed John outside.

-Are you sure he'll be allright ? Enquired Silver  
-Yeah, he's only a little inebriated. He's not even at giggling yet. For many people that comes first, be he has to be really drunk to let go enough to allow himself to giggle. Right now, he's at the stage where his flirting game just gets more stupid.  
-Is he usually good at flirting ?  
-I wouldn't say good, but clever, yeah. Too clever sometimes. If you don't know Marcus Aurelius, you can't get his innuendos.  
-Hm. But then if you don't get it... How can you respond ?  
-Well, in my case, I had Miranda's help. If she hadn't given me to read the books that were the key to his heart, it might have taken us ages. Or several bottles of champagne. Now if someone else was wooing him... I'd say go for champagne, it's faster. Are you interested in my boyfriend, mister Silver ?  
-What ? No, I... I was just curious.  
-Because, you know, it would be fine, he and Miranda have an open marriage, as you gathered, and the three of us are free to pursue... or be pursued and hm...  
-I was really not asking you how to flirt with your lover, Flint.  
-Ah.

They had reached the refreshements table, where Flint busied himself with finding a clean glass and a bottle of water. John was feeling embarassed, as if he had been rude, had missed something or had let something slip. It was like a fantom itch he had to scratch. They made their way back to the house in awkward silence. Around them, people were chatting, eating, drinking, laughing. No one was dancing yet but that was bound to happen sometime later in the night.

-Do you dance ? Blurted out Flint.

Once again he sounded like he had read John's mind. Or maybe his thoughts had followed the same trail, which wasnt that surprising.

-I mean, I don't dance, continued Flint, or not in public settings like this anyway. But judging by the stage, Jack's guitar, the stereo... I suppose some music and dancing is planned. And I was thinking maybe you'd know where we can hide in this house ?  
-Hide ?  
-To avoid dancing.  
-Ah, hm, yes, I suppose I could. Find somewhere.

John's throat had gone a little dry because “Flint” and “hiding” made all sorts of ideas bloom in his brain. He almost choke when he stole a glance at the redhead man and saw him smirk at him from the corner of his mouth. They were exchanging anecdotes about their friends' tastes in music when they ran into Jack in the hallway leading to the living room.

-And where are you two going ? He asked in a reprimanding tone.  
-Are we... not supposed to be in the house ? Asked John.  
-Depends where you're going, answered Jack, leaning on the wall with his shoulder, in a seemingly careless tone.  
-To carry water to Thomas. He's drunk.  
-Barely, scoffed Jack, and anyway, Miranda is already with him. She was also concerned for the two drops of alcohol in his body and carried in a wheelbarrow of food to soak it. Surely he doesnt need her to feed him and you to water him ? Or is that how it works ?  
-In your relationship, mused John, who does the feeding, who does the watering and who is the pampered heir ?

Jack and James looked at him for a moment, either entertaining the thought or wondering if he had lost his marbles.

-Funny you say that because Thomas was actually born in a wealthy family, said James  
-You know I think that joke would actually make a good game... Have guests guessing. Way more entertaining that “who gets the trash out and who stays on the couch watching tv”.

This time, it was John and James looking at him like he was losing it.

-Nevermind that, waved Jack, just give me this and go enjoy the party, I suppose none of you has had a bit of food yet, with all the talking you've been doing. If you don't eat you'll offend Anne, Max and Charles, and do you really want the three of them to be mad at you ? Come on, off you go.

Their host shooed them outside as he disappeared behind the door of the living room, carrying the bottle and glass he'd taken from Flint. Silver and Flint were left to gaze into each other's eyes, which lasted a moment too long. They opened their mouth at the same time :

-Is he really going to make people play that guessing game ?  
-Did Miranda really fill the garden wheelbarrow with food ?

They stopped and chuckled, embarassed to have spoken one over the other. They didn't pick up either of their questions, they didn't really matter anyway. What mattered was that they were alone together and free to do what they pleased.

-So what should we do ? Inquired Flint in a very soft tone, almost a playful whisper.  
-Hm... Do you want to go pick some food and find one of those hiding places ? I'd rather not eat in plain sight, Max might come question us.  
-Yes, her pies are best enjoyed in secrecy. Like most things.  
-Including dancing ?  
-Sometimes, smiled James.

They snatched food and drinks from the buffet as if they were clandestines mongrels instead of guests, giggling and smiling at each other. John led him through the darkest part of the garden, under the trees, where no lights had been hung, even though the main area probably could have spared a string of lights or a lantern. They reached the far wall and a small wire mesh door that led to the small enclosed vegetable garden.

  
Here, the moonlight shone enough for them to see where they walked. They could still hear the music and chatter from the party but they were by themselves and no one would think to look for them here. Not that they really needed to be undisturbed but it was fun to pretend. They sat with their backs to the walls and shared their loot. John told Flint about the windowsill plants the Rangers had started caring for back in university, their many attempts at avocado germination and potato recycling. Flint told him about the commune's fields, the hopes they had about cultivating spices, the satisfaction of good harvests, the hours spent working the soil, sorting the waste and separating the vegetables. He took John's hand to show him the calluses left on his own and then he kept it and Silver left it there.

They spoke in hushed tones of Flint's dreams of a little piece of a better world, of a good place for people who wanted to try. In whispers, they spoke of John's need of peace, of his feeling adrift, of his want of safety and purpose. Flint rubbed his thumb n the back of John's hand and he felt his heart melt. Maybe low voices under the moonlight was a tad too romantic, maybe falling for someone he had just met was rash and a bad idea. Or maybe, thought Silver as he turned to Flint, maybe if it felt in this moment it was worth pursuing right now, as the moon shone on them and slow music could be heard from the party. He offered the redhead man his free hand and asked :

-Is this private enough for a dance ?

Flint smiled, a soft smile from the corner of his mouth, took his hand and got them to their feet. They improvised some sort of waltz that became a slow, that became barely swaying while holding each other close, looking deep in each other's eyes. John could feel Flint's hands firmly holding the small of his back, he could feel the warmth of his body so close to his. He could feel his strong shoulders under his palms, and if he moved his fingers like so, he could also feel the soft skin under his collar, the smooth freckled nape of his neck. Flint's breath hitched as John let his finger run there, light as a feather, slightly hesitant but barely so, ready to pull back at the first sign of awkwardness. Flint moved one of his hands, grabbed John's shirt and yanked him closer, even though it hadn't looked like they could get any closer. And indeed they were now nose to nose, their mouths dangerously close, their lips brought together by something like gravity.


	6. Epilogue

Later, they were many more kisses, more talks, more hand holding, more smiles and even more dances. Later there was intimacy and connections and new bonds. Later, there were confessions from Jack, Charles, Max and even Anne, eager to tell their part in the scheme, even though they hadn't done much. Deciding where the desserts should be put and that later they would ask John and James to move them really was the main thing, nothing much was needed. Max had ensured Miranda and Thomas were busy, quite easy in a party like that. And Anne had just intensfied her inquisitive glare, of which she was well aware of. Keeping parts of the garden dark had also been Jack's idea, executed by Charles while John took a nap. He also prided himself for shooing them from place to place but he just always did that anyway. Even Thomas prided himself for the words of encouragement he had whispered into his lover's ear. And the rest was just two like-minded men finding each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was fun to write ! Feel free to leave thoughts, questions, headcanons, fic recs (please leave fic recs)... Hope you enjoyed this silly story !


End file.
